Intermittent film feed



y 1943 o. w, Gnusws EI'AL 2,319,318

' INTERMITTENT FILM FEED OriginalFiled June 3, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l lNVENTORS arm w. azmzlvs GEORGE REA/0E,

EVERETT M. P037 9 ATTORNEY May 18,1943 .o. w. GlTHENS :rm. 2,319,313

' INTERMITTEN'I FILM FEED Original Filed June 3, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- INVENTORS f7" G/THENS GIORGG' KENDE v Ewszsrr M. Mm

3 v 4 ATTORNEY Patented May 18, 1943 2,319,318 I INTERIVIITTENT FILM FEED Otto W. Githens and George Kende, New York, N. Y., and Everett M. Porter, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignors to Universal Camera Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Original application June 3, 1937. Serial No.

146,182. Divided and this application December 21, 1939, Serial No. 310,343

6 Claims.

This invention relates generally to motion picture projectors, and has for one of its objects the provision of a motion picture projector having an improved intermittent film advancement mechanism which is characterized by its simplicity and efficiency of operation.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the claims.

Certain features shown and described but not claimed in this application are shown, described, and claimed in our copending application, Serial No. 146,182, filed June 3, 1937, for Motion picture projectors, now Patent No. 2,190,658, of which the present application is a divisional application.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a motion picture projector embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged. cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 2+2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail, partly sectional, of a portion of the mechanism of the projector shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, we have disclosed a motion picture projector III constructed in accordance with our invention and embodying certain'novel constructional features hereinbefore mentioned and which will now be described in detail.

As shown in Fig. 1, the projector I comprises a base II, which is adapted to house an electric motor of usual construction, a pair of switches S and S, a ventilating fan, and a transformer, all of which are not shown in the present application, but which are shown and described in our said copending application, Serial No. 146,182. Attached to the top wall IIa of the base II is a main supporting frame I2, substantially rectangular in shape and having integrally cast extensions or reel arms l4 and I5. The reel arms I4 and I5 may be provided with integrally cast bearing brackets, into which there is journalled the shafts I6 and H, which are designed to receive thereon for rotation therewith suitable take-off andtake-up reels I8 and I9. The frame I2 is provided with an integrally cast portion I2a,

which extends from the bottom edge of the said frame I2 at right angles thereto and is adapted to overlie the top wall I Id of the base I I Integral with the frame I2 and with the portion I2a is a vertical wall l2b, disposed at right angles to the portion I2a and also to the body of the frame I2, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The wall I212 is so constructed and arranged as to serve as one side wall of a lamp house 20, described in our copending application, Serial No. 146,182. The portion I2a of the frame I2 may be fixed to the base II by any suitable attaching means, such as for example a plurality of screws 2| passing through the frame portion I2a and received in the threaded holes in the top wall I la of the base, so that the frame I2 is held-rigidly in upright position.

The frame I2 is so designed and constructed that, in addition to supporting the reels I8 and I9, it is adapted to be used as a support for the intermittent film movement mechanism soon to be described and protectively encased in a member 22 removably mounted on said frame, the film sprocket wheels 23 and 24, the lens holder support 25, the film passageway 26, a shutter 21, and a chain of gearing shown; in Figs. 2to 4, for synchronously driving the film movement and the shutter together with the sprocket wheels.

The roll of film F to be projected is contained on the take-01f reel I8 and is threaded over the sprocket wheel 23 and formedinto a loop, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, after which it is passed through the film passageway 26, and then formed into a second loop, after which it passes over the sprocket wheel 24 and on to the wind-up reel I9. The surface of the frame [2 may be provided with curved ridges 28 and 29, which are adapted to serve as guides for forming the abovementioned loops in the film F'before and after passing through the film passageway 26.

The sprocket wheels 23 and 24 are of customary construction and fixed to the shafts 30 and 3|, which in turn are journaled in the brackets 23a and 24a integral with the frame I2. Suitable pairs of guide rods 32 and 33 for guiding the film on to the sprockets 23 and 24 are provided.

The film passageway 26 comprises a longitudinal member 35 disposed parallel to the wall I21: and a cooperating film gate 39.

For intermittently advancing the film through the film passageway 26, we have provided the following novel mechanism, which is clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4;

The film F employed in connection with the projector of our invention is preferably of the 8 mm. type having a single row of perforations P adjacent one edge thereof, but it is understood that a motion picture projector may be constructed in accordance with our invention in which any other type or size of film may be satisfactorily employed. Our improved film movement comprises a film claw 56, which may be an angle-shaped member, as shown, having one leg 56a thereof rigidly attached to a. vertically disposed leaf spring 51, normally parallel to the film passageway 2'6, and the other leg 5% extending outwardly from said spring 51 at an angle thereto. The spring 5'! is rigidly attached at the lower end thereof to a shuttle 58, by any suitable attaching means, such as rivets 59. The claw 56 i adapted to be moved toward and away from the film F at a predetermined rate, so that the claw portion 5612 will regularly freely enter the perforations P in the film and be withdrawn therefrom. It is understood, of course, that the film F must be intermittently advanced in synchronism with the positioning of each image, and be at rest for a predetermined interval of time while the photographic image on the film is in registered relationship with the usual film apertures (not shown) in the film gate '39 and member 35. To provide this proper synchronism, we employ a cam 89 fixed to a shaft 8| for rotation therewith, said shaft 8! being journalled in a bracket 82 which is integral with the frame 12. The cam 80 may be fixed to the shaft 8| by having aportion 8|a of said shaft adjacent the end thereof knurled, and the aperture in the cam 80 correspondingly knurled so that, upon assembly of the cam 89 on the shaft portion Bla, relative rotation between said shaft and cam will be prevented. When the claw portion 56b is in proper alignment with a perforation P, the rotation of the cam 80 will cause the said claw portion 56b to be moved toward the film F to enter the perforation P against the normal action of the spring 57. The mechanism is so designed that, after the claw 56 has entered the perforation P, it is thenpulle'd or moved in a downward direct-ion to advance the film a predetermined amount. When the lowermost position of the claw has beenlreached, the cam 80 1s so designed that it will by that time have released the pressure on the spring 5'! to permit the with drawal of the claw56 from the perforation P in the film, and the claw will then be free to move upwardly in readiness to again enter another perforation P for asecond advancing movement of the film, and so on. To permit the insertion of the point of the claw 58 a sufficient distance in the perforation P, the film gate 39 is provided with a slotted aperture 391) (see Fig. 3) of sufficient size to accommodate the full stroke of the film claw 56.

The vertical reciprocating movement of the claw 56 is produced by means of the shuttle 58, which is slidably mounted for straight-line reciprocation by means of the projecting pins 83 integral with the frame I2, which threadedly 'receive therein the enlarged head screws 85, said screws 85 being adapted to pass freely through the elongated slots 84. The heads of the screws 85 serve to prevent lateral displacement of the shuttle 58. For causing uniform reciprocation of the shuttle 58 in synchronized relationship with the film claw 58, there is provided a cam 85 adapted to operate in an aperture '81 in the shuttle 58. The cam is fixed to a main'shaft 88 which is journalled in a bracket 89 integral with the frame l2. The cam 88 may be frictionally fixed to the shaft 23 by knurling a portion 880. of the said shaft 83 and correspondingly knurling the aperture in the cam 86. Mounted on the main shaft 88 and disposed on the opposite side of the fram 62 from that of the bracket 89, is a pinion 90 which i adapted to mesh with an idler pinion 9i freely rotata-bly mounted on the shaft 92, which is in turn fixed to the frame l2. The pinion 91 i adapted to mesh with a gear 93 fixed to the shaft 8!, which carries the camBE.

It is thus apparent from the above description that when the main shaft 88 is rotated, the cam 86 Willcause straight line vertical reciprocation of the shuttle 58, and at the same time the pinion 90 will cause rotation of the gear 93 through the idler pinion 9|, so that the cam 80 will be caused to rotate, which will intermittently urge the claw 5%; into engagement with the perforations P against the action of the spring 51, and then, upon continued rotation of the cam 80', the claw 56 will be withdrawn from the perfora tion P due to the action of the spring 51.

The above-described intermittent-film move ment mechanism is so designed that the shuttle cam 86 will rotate at twice the speed of the claw feed cam 85, in order that the pull-down period of the claw 56 will be relatively small as compared with its period of rest. In other words, for every two reciprocating cycles of the shuttle 58, there will be one feed cycle 'of'the claw 56'. It is noted in the above-described construction that the claw 5's is caused to'move toward and away from the film at substantially right angles to the direction of reciprocation of the-shuttle 58.

The main shaft 83 is adapted to be driven from any suitable motor, which may be housed in the base H by any well known driving means, such as for example a pulley 98 fixed to the main driving shaft 88 for rotation therewith, and a similar pulley on the motor shaft together with a belt interconnecting both pulleys in the manner shown in our said copending application, Serial No. 146,182.

Means are provided, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and l, for simultaneously driving the film sprockets 23 and 2 3 from the main driving "shaft 88 in synchronous operation with the film claw movement mechanism above described. For this purpose, we have provided a gear H30 in mesh with the gear '98 on the m'a'inshaft 88, said gear [Bl] being freely rotatably mounted on'a shaft llll fixed to the frame l2. Freely rotatably mounted on the same shaft Mills a pinion I02 integral with the gear Hi0 and which is adapted to mesh with a gear H23 fixedly mounted on the shaft 3| for rotation therewith, upon which is also mounted the lower sprocket wheel 24,to cause the rotation of said sprocket. wheel. On the upper sprocket shaft 35 there is fixed, for rotation therewith, a gear similar in design and function to that of the gear E03 and which-is adapted to be driven from the gear I 03 by' means of an intermediate idler gear W4, freelyr'o'tatably mounted on the shaft I05 fixed to the frame l2.

By our invention, we hav'ealso provided a construction whereby the chain ofgearin'g for driving the mechanism to czpera'tethe projeem which inturn is driven from the'main shaft, is all enclosed'in dus'teproofas'well'as relatively sound-proof housings, which are adapted to be readily accessible for repairs and for necessary adjustment. All of the gearing mechanism hereinbefore described for driving the intermittent film movement of the shutter as well as the sprockets from a main shaft interconnected with the motor is enclosed in a dust-proof housing comprising a surrounding wall I20 integral with the frame l2 and extending at right angles therefrom apredetermined distance sufficient to cover all the above described gearing. It is noted that the portion l2c of the wall l2b forms an integral part of the wall I20. The hollow casing area formed by the surrounding wall I20 is adapted to house the chain of gearing hereinbefore described and to be clo-sedoff, as is also shown in our copending application Serial No. 146,182 by a removable cover I2 I.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved. and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a motion picture projector of the character described, the combination of a supporting frame comprising a vertically disposed wall, a main shaft horizontally disposed and journaled in said wall, intermittent film movement mechanism comprising a reciprocatably mounted shuttle supported by said wall for straight line reciprocation only, a film claw mounted t one end of a leaf spring whose other end is fixed to said shuttle for reciprocation therewith, means for causing reciprocation of said shuttle, said last named means comprising a cam fixed directly to said main shaft, a second shaft journaled in said frame, means for synchronously causing said film claw to travel toward and away from the film when said shuttle is reciprocated, said last named means comprising a cam mounted on said second shaft and adapted to directly actuate said film claw, and means for driving said second shaft from said mainshaft,saidlastnamed means comprising a gear on said main shaft, a gear on said second shaft, and an intermediate gear meshing with said main and second shaft gears.

2. In a motion picture projector of the character described, the combination of a supper-ting rame comprising a vertically disposed wall, a main shaft horizontally disposed and journaled in said wall, intermittent film movement mechanism comprising a reciprocatably mounted shuttle supported by said wall for straight line reciprocation only, a film claw mounted at one end of a leaf spring whose other end is fixed to said shuttle for reciprocation therewith, means for causing reciprocation of said shuttle, said last named means comprising a cam fixed directly to said main shaft, a second shaft journaled in said frame, means for synchronously causing said film claw to travel toward and away from the film when said shuttle is reci-procated, said last named means comprising a cam mounted on said second shaft and adapted to directly actuate said film claw, and means for driving said second shaft from said main shaft, said last named means comprising a gear on said main shaft, a gear on said second shaft, and an intermediate gear meshing with said main and second shaft gears, said shuttle, said film claw, said main and second shaft cams being disposed on one side of said wall, and said gears being disposed on the opposite side of said wall.

3. In a motion picture projector of the character described, the combination of a supporting frame comprising a vertically disposed wall, a main shaft horizontally disposed and journaled in said wall, intermittent film movement mechanism comprising a reciprocatably mounted shuttle-supported by said wall for straight line reciprocation only, a film claw mounted atone end of a leaf spring whose other end is fixed to said shuttle for reciprocation therewith, means for causing reciprocation of said shuttle, said last named means comprising a cam fixed direct- 1y to said main shaft, a second shaft journaled in said frame, means for synchronously causing said film claw to travel toward and away from the film when said shuttle is reciprocated, said last named means comprising a cam mounted on said second shaft and adapted to directly actuate said film claw, and means for driving said second shaft from said main shaft, said last named means comprising agear on said main shaft, a gear on said second shaft, and an intermediate gear meshing with said main and second shaft gears, said shuttle, said film claw, said main and second shaft cams being disposed on one side of said wall, and said gears being disposed on the opposite side of said wall, and a member removably mounted on said wall for protectively encasing said shuttle, said film claw and said cams.

4. In a motion picture projector of the character described, the combination of a supporting frame comprising a vertically disposed wall, a main shaft horizontally disposed and journaled in said wall, intermittent film movement mechanism comprising a reciprocatably mounted shuttle supported by said wall for straight line reciprocation, a film claw mounted at one end of a leaf spring Whose other end is fixed to said shutter for reciprocation therewith, means for causing reciprocation of said shuttle, said last named means comprising a cam fixed directly to said main shaft, a second shaft journaled in said frame, means for synchronously causing said film claw to travel toward and away from the fihn when said shuttle is reciprocated, said last named means comprising a cam mounted on said second shaft and adapted to directly actuate said film claw, means for driving said second shaft from said main shaft, said last named means comprising a gear on said main shaft, a gear on said second shaft, and an intermediate gear meshing with said main and second shaft gears, said shuttle, said film claw, said main and second shaft cams being disposed on one side of said wall, and said gears being disposed on the opposite side of said wall, and a housing for said gears, said housing comprising an auxiliary wall surrounding said gear integral with and disposed at right angles to said first named wall, a removable cover member for protectively encasing said gears, a portion of said main shaft projecting through said cover memher, and a pulley on said projecting main shaft portion adapted to drive the same.

5. In a motion picture projector of the character described, the combination of a supporting frame comprising a vertically disposed wall, a

main shaft journaled in said wall, an auxiliary shaft journaled in said wall, a cam mounted on each of said shafts for rotation therewith, a reciprocatable shuttle having an opening opera tively receivingsaid main shaft .cam therein, said shuttle beingadapted to move in a plane parallel to the plane of said, wall, vertically disposed slotted apertures in said shuttle, pin fixed to said Wall .freely operating in said slotted aper. tures to cause straight line reciprocation only, a flat spring member fixed at one end thereof to said shuttle, leaving the opposite end free, said spring member being disposed in a planeat right angles to the plane of said shuttle movement, .a film claw fixed to said free end of said spring and adapted to cooperate with a fil-m passageway to advance a film, said spring member being arranged so as to normally urge said film claw to move .in a direction away from said film, said auxiliary shaft cam being adapted to intermittently move sa d film claw in a direction toward saidfilm, and means for synchronizing the movements of said shuttle and said film claw.

6. In a motion picture projector of the char,- acterrdescribed'the combination of a supporting frame comprising ,a first vertical wall perpendicular to the optical axis of said projector, said wall having a light transmitting aperture therein, and a second vertical'wall integral with said first wall and parallel to said optical axis, a main shaft horizontally disposed and journalled in said second wall, means for intermittently advancing a film past said aperture, said means comprising a shuttle reciprocably mounted on a plurality of projections integral With and extending from said second wall, means for causing reciprocation of said shuttle, said last named means comprising a'cam fixed to said main shaft, and means for driving said shaft.

O'I'IO W. GITHENS.

GEORGE vKENDE. EVERETT M. PORTER. 

